The Chronicles of the Purifier: Discovery
by Valerian Busybody
Summary: A Protoss Expedition travels to an asteroid seeking an ancient Protoss Mothership, planning to use it to turn the tides against the Zerg. However, they do not expect the consequences...
1. The Awakening

An armada of Shuttles had descended from the bowels of warp-space, eager to dump their exhausted passengers down on the barren surface of the Asteroid. Large plumes of dust erupted as the Shuttles hovered in place, their blue Warp engines shimmering and humming. Moments later there was an even louder humming sound, and hundreds of small blue orbs appeared beneath the hovering Shuttles. The orbs shimmered and flashed, and when they were gone, in their place stood the passengers, eager to begin their expedition.

The Protoss Expeditionary force immediately set to work making camp. Pylons were erected to power the other structures by scuttling Probes, beeping as they went about their work. This was but a temporary settlement, and would not require a Nexus. As soon as the quarry was retrieved, the Shuttles would go back to where they had come from without their cargo. If all went as planned, they would not be needed after the quarry was retrieved.

In the meantime a large group of a hundred or so Protoss gathered on a lofty dirt ridge overlooking the campsite. Most of them were mystics and historians, clad in gray robes glittering with blue crystals, but there was also a team of warriors dispatched with the Expedition just in case they encountered hostile creatures. Zealots with their shining blue Psi Blades stood guard around the group, holding their weapons at a resting position. Towards the front, several creatures encased in golden armored shells, Immortals, stood with their Phase Disruptors aimed outward.

To one side of the group of mystics and historians stood a Protoss much older and much shorter than the rest. His skin was dark grey and wrinkled. His eyes scanned the ragtag Expeditionary group with hope and approval.

"Attention, all," came a loud, booming voice from the center of the group. Everyone turned to face the speaker, a young, strong-looking Protoss with an air of authority about him. Everyone turned silent and stopped to listen.

"My name is Baelthas. I have gathered you all here today on this asteroid in the far reaches of space for a very important mission. No one has visited here since the Golden Era of Protoss Expansion, when the first Protoss settlers placed a beacon on this asteroid so we could find it later."

The crowd of mystics and historians murmured softly to one another, deeply intrigued. The older Protoss said nothing, and observed silently the speech given by Baelthas.

"You all have been told the reason for coming here," the young Protoss continued. "There is an ancient relic from that Golden Age so long ago that even now rests here on this Asteroid, waiting to be reclaimed by this expedition."

A hush went through the gathered crowd, who had long awaited this moment.

"I would like to call one of the Elders on this expedition to speak before our Expedition. Karazul, please step forward."

The older Protoss blinked with surprise, but smiled and walked up towards where Baelthas stood. The crowd of wide-eyed historians parted before him as he rose to stand next to the taller Protoss warrior.

"As Baelthas has told you, my name is Karazul," the Elder began. "I was part of the Expedition that first flew on the Great Motherships of old to colonize planets in the name of the Protoss. I remember little the details about the Motherships, but I can remember that they were enormous, and could wipe out entire planets."

A collective gasp rose through the crowd. Karazul nodded to Baelthas, who took the floor again.

"One of these great Motherships resides here, on this asteroid," the Warrior announced. "And we will be the first to awaken it, and bring it back into service against the foul armies of the Terrans and the demonic Zerg!"

The crowd let up a cheer, echoing across the desolate sands of the asteroid.

"Now come," Baelthas exclaimed. "It lies just over the next ridge!"

Karazul gazed in wonder up at the massive golden ship resting on the surface of the Asteroid. He had not seen the _Purifier _since he was but a young Apprentice, a librarian in service on the great ship. He remembered few aspects about his stay. Fleeting memories hovered in his mind of stacking books and scrolls, organizing them on shelves and wondering about what his life had in store for him. Well, now he was near the end of his days, and he was at least glad he had lived long enough to witness the return of the Motherships of old.

The crowd of Explorers let out a sigh of awe at the first sight of the _Purifier. _It was an unthinkably humongous creation, covering almost half of the asteroid. The Mothership resembled a massive three-pointed star, each of its three points serving as a command center lest one of the others get destroyed. Each point alone was big enough so house thousands and thousands of Protoss. And in the center of the monstrous ship was an equally giant cluster of tall pointed buildings, golden and filled with rows of doors and windows. An entire floating city.

For a long moment, no one spoke, thinking at how this giant ship would wreak havoc in the Protoss fleet.

"The _Purifier," _announced Baelthas. "And it is ours for the taking. All we have to do is access the main control center which will allow us to fly this create giant back to Shakuras. There, we will gather the remnants of our fleet for reconstruction"

"With this power, we can wipe out every Zerg in the galaxy!" piped up an eager Military strategist.

"Do not be too hasty," Karazul warned him. "Have we not learned our lessons from the past? The Zerg learn quickly, and adapt to any new technology we bring into play. If we throw this ship into combat too quickly, we may just as quickly lose it once more."

"The Elder is right," a Zealot announced, stepping forward. A flickering crystal on his left shoulder showed him to be of high rank amongst the Zealot forces guarding the expedition. "I am Servitor Khal, and I command the military forces stationed here. I have been in battle against the Zerg. When we first brought Carriers into play, the Zerg Mutalisks were decimated. That was before they sent their filthy Scourge in, which evaded their larger guns and sought out the central cores of the warships, destroying three of our Carriers. Yes, for those of you who have never been in combat, any weapon that we employ must be used with caution. This Mothership may seem like a savior, but mark my words. If we do not be careful, it may also fall prey to the ravages of the Zerg."

A silence fell over the crowd. The Mothership did not seem like such a wonderful salvation to them anymore. They had heard the words of someone who had fought the Zerg directly, and if this seemingly unbeatable titan could be defeated, then perhaps there was nothing they could do.

"Nevertheless," Baelthas spoke up, breaking the silence, "Motherships like these are being gathered from the far corners of the galaxy, and they will certainly make a difference to whatever ragged remnants of our fleet still survive. We will do what we can to defeat the Zerg, and with this ship, we will have the strength to do it. Now, enough talk. It is time to take control of the _Purifier!"_

The Protoss had not thought to have brought Observers to stand guard above the camp, or they would've spotted the Overlord slowly passing by, observing all that happening on the asteroid below. High above the reach of any of the Photon Cannons, the Overlord gazed down with mutated eyes that allowed it to see clearly from several hundred miles away. Its infested brain quickly analyzed the two options: stay around to watch some more, or retreat before possible Protoss air reinforcements arrived to patrol the area. The Overlord chose the second option as the better choice, and quickly relayed its sightings to the Cerebrate who controlled it with mind-signals. The Cerebrate responded with a confirmed order to return to the Hive Cluster, and the Overlord immediately complied. The Cerebrate wasted no time. It relayed an order out to the Hive Cluster, gathering together several Overlords and filling their carrying sacs with Zerg minions. He would not allow this Mothership to be awakened, and he was determined to make sure the Protoss did not achieve their goal.

"Let us awaken this Mothership!" cried Baelthas. "Karazul, bring forth the Scroll of Code."

The Elder Protoss removed from his belt a rolled-up scroll and unrolled it before the eager eyes of the crowd. Its surface glimmered with shimmering blue letters and arrows, a set of directions.

"I must stand before the entrance and recite this verse here," Karazul said. "This ship was shut down long ago, and can only be reanimated with this code. Afterwards it cannot be shut down again unless I speak this verse once more."

The party walked forward until they were standing directly under the entrance: two huge sliding gold gates that marked the entryway into the center area of the Mothership. Above them loomed the Mothership. It stretched on far past their sight, and stretched up far past their sight. It was a magnificent wonder of Protoss technology.

"When you are ready, Karazul," Baelthas told him.

Karazul stepped up to the giant golden doors and began mumbling verses from the scroll. Baelthas, Khal and the rest of the party bowed their heads in reverence and awaited the awakening of the great ship.

Karazul stopped at the end of the scroll and looked up at the doors. Everyone held their breath, expecting something marvelous to happen.

All was silent. Nothing stirred in the great golden ship.

"Is something wrong?" Baelthas asked the Elder. "Did you speak a verse wrong?"

"Everything was done correctly," Karazul replied, shaking his head. "I don't understand what's wrong."

As he spoke this, there was suddenly a brilliant flash of light. The words on the scroll glowed a brilliant blue, and a humming sound began. The empty portholes and windows of the ship flashed and shone with intense blue rays. Blue light shimmered and glowed from every building, every opening and cargo bay, exploding in one blinding burst of incredible light. The Protoss stepped back, covering their faces with their hands as the light enveloped them, blocking out all vision.

Suddenly, the light was gone, and everything was back to normal—except on the Mothership. A low hum now reverberated from the great engines of the thing. Blue lights shone throughout the ship, blinking and flashing and sliding across the armor-plated hull. And in the place where the buildings were now stood a flickering blue bubble of energy that stretched over the tops of the buildings, protecting the floating city from space and outside attack. And at the entrance to the ship, the great golden doors had slid open, revealing the inside of the Mothership.

A great cheer went up from the gathered Protoss.

"The _Purifier _has been reborn!" shouted Baelthas, which provoked another round of cheering.

"Let's board the ship, and see what is has in store for us!" cried several Historians.

"Come on!" The Protoss leader led his expedition up the ramp and into the great golden entrance that flashed with blue lights.

"We will stand guard outside, Baelthas," Servitor Khal called to him as they were about to enter the _Purifier. _"We will make sure no harm comes to you and your team."

"Of course, Servitor," Baelthas called back. "We will tell you when to board the ship. Until then, protect the entrance!"

With that, the Expeditionary team disappeared within the massive bowels of the glowing Mothership. Khal turned and looked out across the desolate wastelands of the asteroid. It seemed that no life was existent here, but of course, he could be wrong. There was no telling what beasts may have taken up residence here in the period of time after the Protoss left their ship on this asteroid. If any of them showed their ugly faces today, he and his men would be ready.


	2. The Battle Begins

The Cerebrate watched through the eyes of his minions as they descended in a silent wave towards the asteroid. Hundreds of Mutalisks flanked several Overlords on their slow and steady passage downward towards the Mothership. Even from here the ship could be seen. An enormous machine, several times bigger than any Protoss warship ever employed in battle against the Zerg, covered nearly half of the asteroid. It was shimmering with blue energy, flashing with blue lights. The Protoss had already taken control of it.

The Cerebrate cursed himself for not being quicker. Still, there was a chance he could destroy it before the Protoss learned how to use it. He would send in the ground forces first, landing overlords on a ridge not far from the resting spot, to combat the Protoss. Then he would employ the Mutalisks in an all-out attack against the Mothership. That would destroy it for sure. But it would have to be quick, for time was running out.

Baelthas, Karazul and the Protoss Expedition gasped in wonder upon entering the Mothership. The entire ship was glowing with seemingly endless psionic energy that coursed and pulsed throughout the entire body of the cruiser. The massive Khaydarin crystal core gleamed like an enormous beacon in the center, while golden-gleaming passageways led the way to crew quarters, science labs, and above all, weapons bays. If the _Purifier _had seemed large from the outside, it was nothing compared to the inside.

Immediately the mystics and historians set about exploring the vast hallways and chambers of the Mothership, writing down etched notes on their scrolls and observing the different aspects of the ship. The military officials headed down the lower ramp, pulsing with blue light, which would lead to the weapons bays. Karazul and Baelthas followed them, eager to see what this ship could do.

It took a long time to reach the end of the ramp, but when they finally emerged into the weapons chamber; both agreed that it was worth the wait.

"Look at these Khaydarin crystal deposits!" gasped Baelthas, running his clawed hand down a glowing blue mineral field. "These can power hundreds upon hundreds of Photon Cannons!"

"It gets better," called one military historian. "I've found the weapons control panel. Perhaps we should test out what this ship can do?"

"No!" Karazul exclaimed. "Not until we are in orbit. I remember the destruction this ship's weapons caused on planets, and if we use them now, they could incinerate the entire asteroid and sent us plummeting into space."

"We have to find the central control of this ship," Baelthas said. "I'm going to take a few of these Protoss who have flown Scouts before and try to see if we can pilot this thing. The rest of you stay down here."

Baelthas turned and, with a few Protoss pilots and technicians, turned to begin the long climb up the ramp once again.

"Wait!" one of them suddenly blurted. "Look here. Doesn't this look like a warp gate?"

Baelthas turned to see a small oval-shaped golden object in the corner of the chamber. "Yes, yes that does. I wonder if it's still operational."

Baelthas walked over to the object and probed around for some sort of activation switch, much like the activation switches for modern Warp Gates. Sure enough, he found a small switch near the back, which he triggered with a mental verse.

The warp gate immediately blossomed open into a swirling blue vortex. Baelthas knew that all he had to do was think of which room to go to and the Warp Gate would transport him there, just like how the Warp Gates worked in Carriers.

"Go to the Central Control Bridge" he thought as he stepped into the portal. There was a white flash, and a blue humming sound as Baelthas' body shimmered into reality once more. As soon as his eyes came into focus, he held back another gasp of wonder at the control center.

There were rows and rows of holographic charts floating in midair, blue and shimmering, showing runes and other symbols indicating data. On the far side was a long row of transparent windows showing the outside asteroid's craggy surface. The control room itself spanned the entire top of the Mothership, with seats and cushions set up next to control panels for hundreds and hundreds of Protoss technicians to work at.

"Let's find the central control panel and lift this ship off of this asteroid!" exclaimed Karazul triumphantly.

_Help! Need help! Zerg! Attacking!_

The thought cut through the empty control room like a psi blade. Baelthas' head jerked upward. He recognized the voice. It was Servitor Khal, who was on guard outside with his warriors!

"Zerg? How did they get here?" asked a Historian fearfully. "I thought we had evaded their detection on our way here!"

"Quickly! We have to leave this asteroid before they destroy the ship!" cried a Military tactician.

"We can't leave Servitor Khal and his warriors here to die!" snarled Baelthas. "I'm going back down to activate the weapons systems. We're going to fight to the last Protoss!"

Outside the ship, a mass of Hydralisks, Zerglings and Banelings were amassing on the outer ridge looking down on the canyon where the ship rested. A chorus of inhuman snarling and bestial roars cut through the empty air.

The Cerebrate watched from afar, using his minions' eyes as a video screen. "Yes, yes, attack now!" he told them telepathically. They obeyed without question. The first Banelings began moving towards their targets, tucking their bubbling green sacs underneath them and rolling like tumbleweeds.

"Banelings! Here they come!" cried Servitor Khal. A wall of bright was headed right for the ship, not halting in its advance. The Immortals trained their phase disruptors on the advancing green wave, and the Zealots stepped forward behind them, psi blades blazing like tiny fires. Khal knew they would fight to the death, but it wasn't his own warriors he was worried about. It was the Banelings' intentions. He knew they would keep rolling through the warriors until they hit the ship. This, he could not allow to happen.

"Immortals, fire!" he barked, and the phase disruptors barked in return. Blue energy bolts flashed from their metallic cannons. Banelings burst open like bloated balloons, spraying green acid and bile all over their companions. This caused a chain reaction on the advancing wave. The first line of Banelings promptly exploded, spraying their green guts on the dusty ground. The second wave behind them burst from the close proximity of the first wave, and as the Protoss watched, the entire line of Banelings was suddenly nothing but a green streak on the horizon.

The Protoss let up a cheer of pure triumph. Never before had they so utterly defeated their mortal foe in such little time. Many Protoss began singing the songs of old Aiur. But Servitor Khal did not let down his guard. He knew the Zerg had plenty more where that came from, and they had almost inexhaustible resources behind them, unlike the Protoss expedition.

As the Banelings exploded, the Zerglings were right behind them. Screeching and groaning they came, a reddish-brown wave now instead of bright green. This wave, he knew, would not be so easy to destroy. He knew it would come to close combat soon enough.

The Zergling wave advanced with rapid precision even as the Immortals blasted away, and in minutes they were a few hundred yards from the Protoss line.

"You all know your duty," Khal cried out. "Slay them in the name of Aiur!"

"For Aiur!" chorused all the warriors. The Immortals stepped back as the Zealots dashed forward, swinging their psi blades in perfect unison to meet the enemy.

And then they made contact. Protoss psi blades were cleaving Zerg carapace and flesh, slicing and cutting and stabbing and swinging. Zerg corpses toppled to the ground all over the front line, missing heads and arms and legs and tentacles. Zerg claws and fangs glanced harmlessly off the Zealots' energy shields, and the Immortals' phase disruptors never ceased, ever pumping blue energy into the faces of the Swarm.

But the Zealots' shields could only last so long. Soon Zergling claws were penetrating through, and then the shields went critical and failed. The cries of anguished Zealots began mingling with those of the Zerg. Golden-armored Protoss bodies began mixing with the brown-armored bodies of the Zerglings. The asteroid had become a graveyard.

Khal leaped forward into the fray, psi blades out in front of him. A hapless Zergling leaped at him, screeching and gnashing its teeth. The beast was permanently disabled with one swipe of Khal's blade, and the body flew over the heads of the fighters to land in the rear of the Zerg lines. Khal kicked the face of one of the Zerglings, listening to the satisfying crunch of bone and flesh. The creature was further eliminated with a brief stab from Khal's psi blade.

_Help! Get the ship started! _Khal sent another message to Baelthas, hoping to the Gods that he would get the ship started and evacuate these soldiers from this battle. Already half of Khal's forces had been killed, and there were simply too many Zerg. The Hydralisks were beginning to move down the ridge, spines bristling on their backs. When they arrived, he knew they would all be overrun.

And when he thought it couldn't get any worse, there came an inhuman screeching from the skies. Down came the Mutalisks. Their bat-like wings were pumping up and down, headed on a direct diving course towards the battle. The lead Mutalisk was preparing its stinger to launch its glaive wurm, and Khal knew his forces were doomed.

But the Mutalisk didn't aim for his forces. Instead it flew onward, past the battling armies. The other Mutalisks followed. "What in the name of…"

Then, dread realization washed over Khal. They were headed for the Mothership. They were going to destroy it before it launched.

As Khal sliced away another leaping Zergling, he realized that all was lost. If the Mothership was destroyed, the Protoss would be stranded here and all killed. While the Zerg kept the Protoss forces occupied here, the Mutalisks went ahead and did their job. It was a perfect plan. And there was nothing Khal could do about it. If he broke off Immortals to attack the Mutalisks the Zealots might all vanquish, and anyway there were simply too many Mutalisks and too many Zerg.

The Mutalisks descended towards the _Purifier, _firing their glaive wurms in a deadly hail. In moments, it would all be over.

But no! A bright blue shield halted the progress of the glaive wurms in midair. Popping out from nowhere, it burst them and crumbled them to dust. The Mutalisks circled around for another run, but they didn't get the chance. Bright blue beams flew out from the gun bays of the massive ship, disintegrating them. Several Mutalisks were flaming, and burnt to a blackened crisp before plunging from the air. In moments all of them were sizzling hunks of soot on the sandy surface of the Asteroid.

An enormous cheer went up from the Protoss once more, and they threw themselves against their foe with an even greater ferocity. The Mothership was rising from the asteroid, its many engines working full time. Blue flames burst from the Warp Engines and the Ship rose steadily into the air. Khal breathed a sigh of relief as the Mothership began firing at the Zerg. Blue energy bolts slammed into Hydralisks and Zerglings alike, frying them to a pulp. After several minutes, the fight had turned from a total failure to a total victory, with the Zealots chasing the retreating Zerg like scurrying ants. The battle had been won, and yet Khal was still uncertain. The Zerg never retreated. They might regroup, but they always finished the job. He knew the real battle was not over.

"It matters not," he said aloud. They would leave this blasted asteroid now, and it would not matter what the Zerg were planning. In the meantime, Khal surveyed the battlefield. Out of his fifty Zealots and thirty Immortals, twenty nine Zealots and ten immortals were dead, and a further seven more severely wounded. He severely hoped that the Expedition had a Healer with them, because he had not thought to have brought one. His casualties were horrific. Hopefully the wounded would survive long enough o be treated on Shakuras. As he stepped over the blood-matted corpses, he looked down. A Zealot lay in a fatal position, psi blade still shimmering, stuck deep in the throat of a Zergling. In silent reverence, Khal switched off the blade and yanked the Zerg's fangs out of his arm, dragging the Zerg off the body. He bowed and continued on his way.

"Protoss!" he called in a weary voice. "Regroup and make your way to the _Purifier_. Carry any wounded you find with you. Leave the dead."

The bedraggled remnants of the security force stumbled towards the hovering Mothership. In moments the traction Warp beam would carry them into the ship, and they would be safe. But still Khal was restless, and his eyes scanned the ridge from where the Zerg had come. He knew they were out there still, and were watching him and his warriors as they boarded the Mothership. And he was afraid. Very afraid.


End file.
